Type-writer machine.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

qr [HI/@n/a) EyJ/f'orncz? d w. F. HELMOND. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED APR 3 1906 'M'faesas grad/z UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM F. HELMOND, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UN DERWOQDTYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF NEW J ERSEY.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11 1906.

Application filed April 3, 1906. Serial No. 309.661.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. HELMOND,

- ens of type-writing machines.

' aroun It is often desired to write close to the top and bottom edgesof a sheet. This is usually found impracticable, because of the bulgingof the pa 'er, due to the bending of the same c t e platen.

The object of the invention is to overcome this difliculty and to rovidedevices which may be readily ap lied to existing machines, especiallythose 0 the Underwood frontstrike type, which will hold the entire topedge and the entire bottom edge of the paper against the platen, so asto permit writing very close to the edges, this bein especiallydesirable at the bottom edge of the pa er.

According to the invention a num er of clips may be sprung u on thefront roll-carrying rod of said mac he at suitable intervals along therod to bear yieldingly against the 1platen, close to the printing-linethereon, so t at a line may be written along the very bottom edge of thepaper. These. clips are preferably formed of very thin springy sheetmetal and are provided with clasps or loops which are s rung upon therod and also with fingers Whic engage other rods upon the machine, so asto produce the proper ressure of the paper-guiding fingers upon t eplaten. The clips are intended 'princi ally to be applied'to existingmachines wit out alteration of the latter, and may be readily slippedonto or ofi from themachine. 1 r

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front-elevation of anUnderwood typewhen t e upper-case types are printing.

writing machine, showing my improvements a plied thereto; Fig. 2 is asectional side e evation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective -viewillustrating the relation of the papere clips to the severalrods of theusual roller mechanism. Fig. 4 shows how the paperguidin fingers clearthe lower-case types In said machine the platen 1 is provided with anaxle 2, mounted in a platen-frame 3, the latter comprising a paper-shelf4 in rear of the platen and continuing at 5 in the form of a plate orfingers extending around the under side of the latenin front thereof,said fingers bein in icated at 6. Front and rear pressure-r01 s 7 and 8are provided beneath the platen, and adjustable aper-guides 9 controlthe paper as it rises a ove the printing-point.

The front rolls 7 are mounted at intervals upon a rod 10, carried orcontrolled by arms 11, said arms being pressed by s rings 12 toward theplaten, whereby the rolls are caused to bear with the required re'ssureupon the latter. Upon said rod 10 secure a series of clips, (designatedgenerally as 13.) Each clip may be formed of very thin and extremelyflexible sheet-steel or other metal. At the middle of the clip the metalis folded back at 14 and 15and between the folds is curved to form aloop 16. This loop or-eye extends considerably more than half-way aroundthe rod 10, but the metal is sufficiently flexible to permit the loop toopen for attaching and detac hing the clip. Said loop serves as abearing for a pivotal action of the clip upon the rod 10. Upwardly fromsaid loop, which is formed transversely of the clip,extend two divergingpaper-guiding fingers 17,

reaching above the guides 6 and almost to the printing-line seen at 18,so as to hold the lower edge of the sheet tightly against the platenuntil said edge has advanced t'oo'far for receiving impressions from thetypes, the latter being mounted upon type-bars 19. Owing to the extremethinness of the metal it clears .the lowercase types- 20, Fig. 4, whilethe uppercase.types 21 are printing. Said types when printing aresubstantially in the same vertical plane and the platen in said machineshifts up and down to enable either set of types to print. shiftedup, asat Fig. 4, there is a small space When the platen isbetween thelower-case types and the laten but this space'is suflicient to receive te thin paper-clip 17 sothat it will not be struck by the lower-case type'20. Brojectmg down- -wardly from said loop is a long finger 22,'

whose lower end lies in rear of a rod 23- and bears against the rearside of the latte r. Be-

tween the rods 23 and is a third .rod 24,

and then the loops may be sprung upon the rod 10, so that the machine iseasily provided with these guides, the latter being mounted upon theextreme ends of the rod 10 and also between the rolls 7, which areplaced at intervals along the rod.

The rolls 7 are released by means of a key 25, connected by a-link 26 tothe shaft 23, which is a rock-shaft and has the usual cam ortions 27 toengage the arms28, which are integral with the arms 11, whereby thelatter are dropped to release the rolls 7, the fixed rod or shaft 24being the axis for such rock ing motion. the arms 11 and the rod 10swing 'away from the platen, together with the pressure-rolls 7 and thepaper-clips 13, the spring-fingers 22 becoming relaxed,'owing to thetendency of their tips to swing backwardly away from the rod 23. Whenthe key 25 is restored to normal position, the rod 10 is brought uptoward the platen and the spring-fingers 22 again flexed about the rod24, thereby causing the fingers 17 to bear against the platen.

If desired, the fingers 22 may be slightly bowed, as at 22*, to bearagainst collars 29, mounted upon the shaft 24.

Having thus described my invention, I claim' 1. In a type-writingmachine having a platen, the combination of a paper-clip formed at oneend with a finger bearing upon the platen, and having at the other end aflexible finger, a stationary support upon which said flexible fingerbears, said clip having between said-fingers a transverse loop, and arod upon which said transverse loop is detachabl'y sprung. r

2. Ina type-writing machine having a platen, the combination of ayielding flexible sheet-metal paper-clip having a loop, a rod upon whichsaid loo is sprung, branched or diverging paper-gui ing fingersextending in one direction from said loop and bearing upon the platen, afinger extending in the opposite direction from said loop, and a supportfor the last-mentioned finger.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen,and papergru'iding means extending beneath and up in ont of the platen,of a rod in front of the platen, a series of aper-clips upon said rod,each clip having a cop sprung upon the rod, and a paper-guidin fingerextending upwardly beyond sai paper-guiding means nearly to theprinting-line, and also having a When the key 25 is depressed,

guiding means extending flexible sheet-metal spring-finger projectingdownwardly from said loop, a second rod below the platen and in front ofsaid spring-fingers and engaged by the latter, and a third rod betweensaid rods and in rear of said spring-fingers, and serving as bearingsfor opposite sides of the latter, so that said springfingers are flexed,and the paper-guiding fingers caused tobear against the platen. 4.. In atype-writing machine, the comb1- nation with a cylindrical platen, andpaperguiding means extending beneath and up in front of the platen, of arod in front of the platen, a series of paper-clips upon said rod, eachclip having, a sprin -loop engaging the rod, and a paper-guiding fingerextending up- Wardly beyond said paperuiding means and to theprinting-line, and a so having a flexible sheet metal spring fingerprojecting downwardly from said loop, a second rod below the platen andin front of said spring-fingers and engaged by the latter, anda thirdrod between said rods and in rear of said spring-fingers, and serving asbearings for the latter, so that said spring-fingers are flexed, and thepaper-guiding fingers caused to bear against the platen release-armsbeing mounted upon said third rod and carrying said first rod, andpressurerolls being mounted upon said first rod, the construction beingsuch that when the arms are moved to release the rolls, the pressurebetween the spring-fingers and the third rod is relieved, and the paperguiding fingers are moved away from the platen.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical laten,and paperguiding means extending eneath and up in front of the platen,of a rod in front of the platen, a series of paper-clips upon said rod,each clip having a spring-loop engaging the rod, and a paper -guidingfinger extending upwardly beyond said paper-guiding means and to theprinting-line, and also having a flexible sheet-metal spring-fingerprojecting downwardly from said loop, a second rod below the platen'andin front of said springfingers andengage'd by the latter, and a thirdrod between said rods aid in rear of said spring-fingers, and serving asbearings for the latter, so that said spring fingers are flexed, and thepaper-guiding fingers caused to bear against the platen; said rollsbeing mounted at intervals along the first rod, and said clips beingmounted both upon the extreme ends of said rod and be'tweenthe rolls. 6.In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen,and paper- .eneath and up in front of the platen, of a rod in front ofthe platen, a series of paper-clips upon said rod, each clip having aspring-loop engaging the rod, and a paper-guiding finger extending upwardly beyond said paperui'ding means and to the printingline, and a sohaving a flexi-- said first red, the construction being such that when.the arms are moved to release the rolls, the pressure between thespring-fingers and the third rod is relieved, and the paperguidingfingers are moved away from the platen; said paper-guiding fingers beingsufficiently thin to clear the lower-case types when lying between thelatter and the platen at the printing of capital types.

7. In a type-writing machine having a, platen, the combination withthree sup orts.

in proximity to the platen, of a flexible s eetmetal paper-clip engagingall of said supports in succession and having a free end; said clipbearing in alternate directions against said supports, and the free endof the clip being caused by said supports to bear against the platen.

8. In a type-writing machine having a platen, the combination with threesupports in proximity to the platen, of a flexible sheetmetal paper-clipenga ing all of said supports in succession an having a free end; saidclip bearing in alternate directions against said supports, and the freeend of the clip being caused by said supports to bear against theplaten; said clip having a loop formed therein to fit upon one of saidsupports.

9. In a type-Writing machine having a platen, the combination with threerods in proximity to and parallel with the platen, of a flexiblesheet-metal paper-cli engaging all of said rods in succession and havinga free end; said clip bearing in alternate directions against said rodsand the free end of the clip being caused by said rods to bear againstthe platen; said clip having a loop formed therein to fit detachablyupon the rod which is nearest said free end.

10. In a type-writing machine having a platen, the combination withthree supports in proximity to the platen, of a flexible sheetmetalpaper.- clip engaging all of said supports in succession and having afree end; said clip bearing in alternate directions against saidsupports, and the free end of the clip being caused by said supports tobear against the platen; said clip having a loop formed therein to fitupon one of said supports; and means for moving one of said supports torelease the clip from the platen.

11. In a type-writing machine having a platen and a rod in proximitythereto; the

,doWnwardly-exten ing combination of a flexible sheet-metal paperclipand a support; said clip formed at one end with a finger bearing uponthe laten and having at the other end a finger W 'ch bears upon saidsupport, and having between said fingers a loop which is sprung uponsaid rod;

the last-mentioned finger being sprung between the rod and the sup ortto cause the firstmentioned finger to hear against the platen.

12. In a type-Writing machine having a laten and a rod in proximitythereto and elow the printin '-l1ne on the platen, the

combination of a exible sheet-metal paper clip formed at one end with afinger bearing upon the 'platen, said fin er extending upwardly fromsaid rod near y to the printingline, and supporting means engaginganother fin er formed upon said cli and coeperating wit the rod to pressthe st finger against the platen.

13. In a type-Writing machine having a platen and a rod in proximitythereto and elow the printin -line on the platen, the combination of aexible sheet-metal pa erclip formed at one end with a finger to ear uponthe. platen, said fin er extending upwardly from said rod near y to theprintingline, and means en agin opposite sides of a finger formed uponsaid clip to flex the same and cooperating with the rod to press thefirst finger against the platen.

14. In a typewriting machine havin a laten and a rod in proximitythereto and eow the printing-line on the platen, the combination of aflexible sheet metal paper-clip formed at one end with a finger bearingupon the platen, said finger extending upwardly from said rod injuxtaposition to the printing-line, and supporting means'engaginganother finger formed upon said clip and cooperating with the rod toress the first finger against the laten; said c ip being formed betweensaid ngers with a loop which is sprung upon said ro 15. In atype-writing machine having a platen and a rod in proximity thereto andbelow the printing-line on the platen, the combination of a flexiblesheet-metal paperclip formed at one end with afinger to bear 'upon theplaten, said finger extending upwardly from said rod nearly to theprintingline, and means engaging another fin er formed upon said clipand cooperating with the rod to .press the first finger against thelaten; said clip being formed between said fingers with a loo Which isdetachably sprung upon said r0 and means for moving said rod away fromthe platen to release the cli p WILLIAM F. HELMON D. WVitnesses:

EDW. J. MANNING, EDWARD PJSTORY.

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